Short fuses are fine by Sparky

MARK HUGHES has launched a vigorous defence of Craig Bellamy and told his Manchester City stars to stay on a short fuse.

SUPPORT: Craig Bellamy, left, has received the backing of Mark Hughes after his altercation with a f []

After spending £200million assembling a team with the passion and edge to drive City to the top, Hughes insists he is not about to rein in his hot-heads.

Emmanuel Adebayor is serving a three-game ban for stamping on Robin van Persie and could face a further punishment for his goal celebration against Arsenal, while Bellamy escaped suspension after striking a Manchester United fan who ran on to the pitch during Sunday’s derby, although he has been warned as to his future conduct.

But Hughes said Bellamy was only doing what most people at Old Trafford would have done in the same circumstances. “All he did was go over and tell the lad in no uncertain terms to get off the pitch because he shouldn’t have been there,” said Hughes.

“We were trying to get back on level terms and we weren’t sure how much time we had left so it was imperative that we got the guy off as quickly as possible.

“The guy made an aggressive movement towards him and my view, and Craig’s view, is that he instinctively put up a hand in a defensive manner and pushed the guy away – which he was right to do because you are never quite sure what is going to happen in those situations.

“That is the top and bottom of it and I think people will see that for what it is. These incidents are taken out of context and viewed in isolation.

“At that point in time, the vast majority of people we’re screaming, ‘Get that idiot off’. And that is all Craig has done. There was an awful lot of emotion around in those final few seconds. In the context of the game it was an incident that was something and nothing and that’s how we viewed it.”

Adebayor and Bellamy will not be punished by the club because Hughes, a fiercely combative striker in his playing days, does not want to risk dulling their competitive instincts. “You can’t take emotion out of football, or any sport for that matter,” he said.

“That passion is fundamental to how they grow and develop as a top player. Every player who plays for Manchester City has passion but there will be varying degrees of it, because all players and personalities are different.

“You have to have that edge, that passion. It can make the difference between a very good player becoming a player who will have an impact on more games than not.”

Gary Neville’s celebrations following United’s late, late winner on Sunday have also come under scrutiny from the FA. Neville, an unused substitute, ran on to the pitch from the dug-out and punched the air towards City fans.

He has also been warned as to his future conduct by the FA.

On Sunday, Hughes said Neville had acted “like a lunatic” but was more conciliatory yesterday. “That [incident] is for other people to highlight. We are just looking at the issues we have to deal with,” he said. “I don’t want to start pointing fingers by saying, ‘This has happened to us, so it should happen to someone else’, because that is not what we are about.

“Our focus is totally on what we are doing at this football club. What other people do and how they behave is other people’s problem. All we look for is balance in everything. There is a lot of hysteria surrounding everything we do at the moment. If we have to answer to the FA, then all we will ask for is balance.

“If we get that and if they feel we need to be punished then we will respect that because that is the process .”

Ferguson’s description of City as “a noisy neighbour” has been perceived as a sign he is worried about the threat from across Manchester.

Hughes added: “If that is people’s perception then yes, we are quite comfortable with that. After our performance against Arsenal and the character we showed at Old Trafford, they know we are not going to go away.

“They know we are going to have an influence on who wins the Premier League in the seasons to come.”

Bellamy’s long-standing knee problem is likely to result in him being rested from tonight’s Carling Cup tie against Fulham. But Hughes will otherwise play a full-strength team in a competition he believes could provide City with their first trophy since 1976.